Tag Archives: Topic: SOB Regulation

Daily Business Review (Law.com): “An 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals panel indicated Thursday that the keyhole should be closed on Internet porn sites broadcasting from private residences, saying the sites constitute a business and could violate municipal zoning ordinances.”

Sun News: “The city approved legislation that some neighboring municipalities had on their books for more than nine years. City Council approved measures that created an adult-oriented business chapter in its codified ordinances, renamed a district that would allow such enterprises to locate and another explaining what is permissible within the new West Bagley Road Commercial District.”

Leonard Link: “A new chapter has been written in the long-running saga of the battle between New York City and proprietors of establishments that sell sexually-related materials, as New York County Supreme Court Justice Lewis York ruled on March 29 that the City had met its “light burden” of showing that the bookstores and video stores operated by the plaintiffs are “adult establishments” subject to a 1995 amendment to the City’s Zoning Resolution (as amended in 2001) sharply restricting the location of such establishments, even though the owners had taken steps to alter their establishments in an attempt to continue operating in their existing locations. For the People Theatres of NY, Inc. v. City of New York, 2010 N.Y. Slip Op. 20108 (Sup.Ct., N.Y. Co., March 29, 2010) . . . ”

Ashe Mountain Times: “For West Jefferson Town Manager Greg McGinnis, the possibility of a sexually-oriented business (SORB) attempting to locate in West Jefferson is all too real. At a meeting held at West Jefferson Town Hall on Monday, April 5, to discuss the issue of sexual businesses, McGinnis related a cautionary tale to a crowd of more than 50.”

Bellevue Reporter: “The city is coming down on [Adrianne] Peterson [the owner of Touchdown Espresso, a new 'bikini barista' stand that opened March 1] for operating a drive-through, which is prohibited at the location of her business . . . A code-enforcement officer visited Touchdown Espresso on April 2, requesting that Peterson renew her building permit and take measures to block drive-through customers . . . The planned revision could result in a stricter definition of adult entertainment, one that includes bikini-clad baristas.”

Las Vegas Sun: “Las Vegas adult club figure Michael Powers sued Clark County on Monday in a challenge to the constitutionality of an ordinance regulating sex clubs and defining them as ‘public nuisances.’”

Las Vegas Sun: “In their new book, The State of Sex: Tourism, Sex, and Sin in the New American Heartland, UNLV academics Barbara Brents, Crystal Jackson and Kathryn Hausbeck examine Nevada’s brothel industry through the lens of history, economy and sociology, drawing their conclusions from a decade of research. It’s a high-toned academic discussion of legal prostitution — a book about sex that doesn’t use the subject to sell itself. Brents, a UNLV sociology professor, sat down with the ‘Las Vegas Weekly’ to talk about the state of sex . . . ”

Courier News: “Pope County officials will consider an ordinance regulating sexually-oriented businesses in the county after a club catering to homosexuals advertised on its Web site it would open Friday on private property near Atkins.”

News4jax.com: “The owners of Inserection, a Southside adult novelty and video store, said the city should pay them $170,000 for trying to shut the business down three years ago. In 2007, police arrested numerous customers for having sex in the booths at the store and also arrested the manager for operating the video booths. Police told the store to close the peepshows . . . ”

The Reporter: “For the second month in a row, West Rockhill has put new rules on the books to keep a lid on sexually-related businesses. In February, it was restrictions designed to make sure massage parlors are not fronts for prostitution. In March, it was an update to zoning rules for adult entertainment businesses.” | Related: PA: West Rockhill passes sex shop restrictions

Memphis Daily News: “Shelby County Commissioners are scheduled to take a final vote today on an ordinance that would better define restrictions on where strip clubs and other adult entertainment businesses can locate in the county.”

The Press Register: “Owners of Good Vibrations, an adult novelty store currently located on South State Street, Lynn Logan and Eddie Browning presented to the board a request to move to a downtown location . . . ‘Based on studies, this kind of business tends to decrease property value and needs to be located in a place that this will not affect the value,’ Barber said. ‘Industrial areas are the obvious answer.’”

Buffalo News: “State Liquor Authority commissioners today yanked the liquor licenses from two local strip clubs after witnesses told authority investigators that the owners, including Rick Snowden, knew of both prostitution and drug dealing at the establishments raided earlier this month by the FBI.”

Seattle Post Intelligencer: “The Oak Harbor City Council approved a trio of laws to ban public nudity, and license and zone adult entertainment within city limits after more than four hours of public comment and discussion.”

Whidbey News Times: “The Oak Harbor City Council approved a trio of laws to ban public nudity, and license and zone adult entertainment within city limits after more than four hours of public comment and discussion.”

KIROTV: “Members of the Celebration Church said they will attend a city council meeting, speak to the council and protest and pray outside City Hall. The city is reviewing its 25-year-old adult entertainment ordinance on light of Club Sin Rock’s opening last Thursday.”

The Post-Star: “The proposal designates three residential and three commercial districts – each allowing different levels of development. There would also be one educational district, which contains the Schuylerville Central School, and a ‘riverfront recreational district,’ which runs along the western edge of the Hudson River.”

The Intelligencer: “West Rockhill supervisors on Wednesday evening approved updated regulations for adult entertainment in the township. The new rules are part of an extensive overhaul to township zoning, but officials decided it would be best to address adult uses separately to keep such businesses from being established before the regulations.”

FOX 31: “Howard Brown with Planning and Development says the City approved merging an ordinance from the City Code, and one from the Zoning Ordinance that will be called the ‘Sexually Oriented Business Ordinance.’ However, they can only regulate where the businesses are located, not so much what they sell.”

PhillyBurbs.com: “Doylestown Council voted unanimously Monday night to approve a zoning ordinance amendment that would limit the location of sexually oriented businesses to the retail commercial district — the Doylestown Shopping Center on North Main Street.”

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: “Pittsburgh City Council is scheduled to host a public meeting from 6 to 9 p.m. tonight at the Onala Club, 1625 West Carson Street, to allow residents to voice their opinions about a proposed strip club in the community.”

macon.com: “Senate Bill 364 passed the Senate Judiciary Committee unanimously, and Staton, R-Macon, said he hopes to see the bill before the full Senate next week, or the week after. The bill strengthens current massage laws on several fronts, and makes it clear that local governments can regulate parlors and spas.”

Southwest Times Record: “Authorities arrested the owner of the business that was located in a suite at 1000 Fort St. The business had hundreds of pornographic videos and a methamphetamine lab, Powell told the Barling Board of Directors during its regular meeting Tuesday.”

KTUL: “A measure to strengthen state laws aimed at stopping human traffickers has been unanimously approved by the State Senate. State Senator Clark Jolley is the author of Senate Bill 2258, which would increase penalties for stealing or destroying another person’s official identification papers or passport.”

The Herald News: “City lawyers are calling a lawsuit contending the city unconstitutionally and systemically banned strip clubs ‘frivolous’ and without basis. The city is seeking legal and related fees and dismissal of the case filed by Gary Lund of Swansea.”

Athens Banner-Herald: “The Jefferson City Council met in a special session Monday night to approve an ordinance that would regulate spas and massage parlors, which have a reputation for harboring prostitution and other illegal activities.”

Pocono Record: “An adult entertainment bar is set to open next week in Jackson Township across the road from a church. Located at Route 715 and Doll Road, across from the First Hispanic Church ‘The Light of the Poconos,’ the sign that once read ‘Pub 715′ now reads ‘Thrills’ in yellow letters against an explosive black-and-red background.”

Milford Daily News: “The town has received another adult entertainment license application from Showtime Entertainment, which has made changes to its proposed strip club conform with the town’s bylaws.”

The Indy Channel: “A live lingerie modeling studio is in danger of being shut down after it opened without the proper license, city officials said . . . Municipal codes stipulate that if the city doesn’t act on a license request within 45 days the license is granted automatically.”

Washburn County Register: “The city ordinance prevents liquor-licensed establishments, with the exception of performance arts centers, from having nudity or acts simulating sex, citing potential secondary effects such as prostitution and crime. Olson was told this prohibited his establishment, Moe’s Place, from having topless dancers, so he began having dancers wearing bikinis instead.”

Seattle Post-Intelligencer: “The Governmental Services Committee will review the ordinance in draft form Monday, March 9 at 8 a.m. in the City Hall Conference Room, 865 SE Barrington Dr., before it goes to the full council later this month.”

Investigative Voice: “The Baltimore City Liquor Board has suspended the license of a Fells Point strip bar for one year. The suspension came after a liquor board hearing over charges that owners of Chubbies last July operated the club later than allowed by their license.”

Herald News: “The lawsuit filed two weeks ago by Gary Lund alleging the city has unconstitutionally prohibited adult entertainment was remanded to U.S. District Court in Boston this week at the city’s request.”

WLNS.com: “Hundreds of strip club opponents and a smaller number of employees and other supporters of the clubs have packed a Detroit City Council hearing on whether to tighten adult business regulations.”

The Christian Institute: “Lap-dancing clubs, casinos and betting shops are increasing in number in the UK, while the number of libraries and schools is falling, new figures show. The statistics have been called a modern day Domesday Book, with critics saying it shows the ‘decline of traditional Britain.’”

PhillyBurbs.com: “Doylestown Council voted unanimously Monday night to approve an ordinance that would require all sexually oriented businesses in the borough and their employees to be licensed by the borough.”

Memphis Daily News: “The Shelby County Commission today will take the first of three votes on a city-county ordinance designed to further restrict adult entertainment businesses . . . The ordinance sponsored by commissioner Mike Ritz specifies that such businesses can’t operate within 1,500 feet of family recreation centers or parks. It also explains what such centers or parks are considered to be.”

Northwest Florida Daily News: “The city’s first topless bar may open by the end of the summer, according to The Oasis operator Terry Stephenson. The Destin City Council voted 5-2 last week to approve a settlement of a lawsuit brought by Stephenson over his right to operate a strip club in the city.”

As of now, there is no state standard for these businesses. Sen. Mark Christensen of Imperial, Nebraska – District 44 introduced and priotitized LB 443.

This bill would place statewide regulations on sexually oriented bookstores and strip clubs and would do the following:

• Require S.O.B.’s to close between midnight and 8 a.m.
• Prohibit full nudity
• Adopt a “No Touch” policy between dancers and patrons.
• Ban minors from visiting S.O.B.’s
• Requires that any S.O.B.’s be located at least 1,000 feet (approximately 1/5 mile) away from any school, daycare, playground, residence or church.

Atlanta Journal-Constitution: “The federal appeals court in Atlanta on Tuesday said Fulton County had presented ample evidence to justify an ordinance banning the sale, possession and consumption of alcohol at adult entertainment establishments.”

UPI: “Undercover officers said their investigation found no illegal behavior in a sex-party room of a pornography bookstore in Melrose Park, Ill. . . . Melrose Park Mayor Ronald Serpico said he would prefer the book store and party room went elsewhere, but there is nothing that can be done about it. ‘I can’t regulate morality,’ Serpico said.”

KOB: “An Albuquerque judge has fined a group responsible for organizing a Nob Hill adult film festival. After three years, the judge decided the theatre that has hosted the Pornotopia film festival is not zoned for adult entertainment, but organizers say the show will go on.”

Atlanta Journal-Constitution: “But that hasn’t slowed the would-be dancers lining up to apply for the $350 permit to work in the city’s 19 clubs, Atlanta police say. Among the usual aspiring actresses and dancers, there are more college students, single mothers trailing toddlers, health and office professionals and even a few age-defying grandmothers — all looking for well-paid work in a city with unemployment above 10 percent.”

KC Star: “The legislation would ban nudity at strip clubs and force partly nude employees to stay 6 feet away from customers. It also would make strip clubs and adult video stores close by midnight and restrict the location of new adult entertainment businesses.”

AP: “The Missouri Senate endorsed strict regulations for sexually oriented businesses Thursday – just days after a federal grand jury convened to look into the demise of a similar bill five years ago . . . ”

The Reporter: “Currently no stores in Vacaville have been identified as adult stores under the city’s current definition in the zoning code. The Planning Commission voted Tuesday in favor of a recommendation to the City Council that would, among other things, broaden the definition of adult stores.”

WMFD.com: “The proposal put before council would increase the distance where sexually oriented businesses could operate near schools, churches, residential neighborhoods or parks.” The Council is expected to vote tonight.

MSNBC: “People were blushing and burning up with anger in Southington over the opening of an adult boutique, but as of Monday, the shop is open for business. Despite protests from residents, V.I.P. — Very Intimate Pleasures — opened its doors on Queen Street in Southington on Monday morning . . . The chain is trying to open another store in Berlin but they are gearing up for a fight. Last week, a federal appeals court upheld a key part of Berlin’s sexually orientated business ordinance . . . ”

WMFD: “More than 100 people attended the forum hosted by the Richland County Family Coalition at Berean Baptist Church on Middle-Bellville Rd. Opponents of Adultmart discussed options for opposing the adult store and to close it.”

St. Petersburg Times: “At a strip club a few hours before dawn Wednesday, a man sliced his ex-girlfriend’s throat with a pocketknife and then pummeled her face with his fists, according to the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office.”

North Carolina Family Policy Council: “The City of Greensboro filed a nuisance abatement lawsuit against the club on January 21, after a long-term undercover police investigation revealed that the club played host to various criminal offenses involving prostitution, and violated a 2003 state law prohibiting the sale of alcohol at certain sexually-oriented businesses.”